A Hard Lesson
by dublin writer
Summary: Sometimes things happen in life that test our patience and resolve and on this day Steve truly gets tested. Will Mike's unfailing wisdom save the day? Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of SOSF. They belong to Quinn Martin and him alone.


**A Hard Lesson**

 **A/N : A short, simple and somewhat poignant one shot for the day that's in it and a Very Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Mothers out there across the sea ... Enjoy your special day ... Life is way too short not to ...x**

Chapter 1

It was coming up to eight o'clock in the evening and the San Francisco sun was going down after another long and rather dramatic day in Homicide. Mike was catching up on the reams of paperwork involved after putting their latest case to bed and he yawned loudly as he reached up under his dark rimmed glasses and rubbed at his eyes wearily. The bullpen was empty for the most part except for Sekulovich who was organizing the rosters for the week ahead and for Bill and Lee who had gone for something to eat a short while before, having missed out on a lunch break due to a difficult call out hours earlier. Norm was somewhere about which just left himself and Steve to clear up the ends of their latest murder case. Steve had gone down to Records to return some files from the case a half hour ago and Mike had already told the young man that on his return they would tidy up and call it a day. The perp had been arrested and was down in a Holding cell and their evidence of his wrong doing was airtight and a slam dunk prosecution was widely expected so despite Mike's obvious weariness, he felt that over all it had been a very successful day and that they were due an early night for once. Or at least early enough not to see midnight pass by on their watches like it did usually.

Leaning back in his chair he removed his glasses and allowed his eyes to close and rest for a brief few minutes after staring at the small, typed print for the previous few hours. The loud door slam that followed startled him and bolting himself upright again nervously he saw Steve enter the inner door of the bullpen and slam that also in quick succession before he watched in astonishment as Steve then paced dramatically back and forth and looked fit to kill. Rising from his seat and rushing out of the small office he approached his young partner cautiously, noticing the thin sheen of sweat and aggravation pulsing from the young man's brow.

"What's going on Buddy boy? ... Who's rattled your cage?"

Steve didn't outwardly acknowledge Mike's sudden arrival on the scene but remained pacing and breathing heavily as he muttered under his breath.

"You know full well who? I'm telling you Mike and I know you're NOT going to like this but he's asking for it and I'm going to give him what he's asking for if he keeps it up ..."

At this point Mike threw an anxious glance across at Sekulovich who now sat watching the unfolding scene with avid interest. Rushing forward Mike stopped Steve's pacing as he grabbed the young Inspector's shoulders and he could almost feel the rage and upset almost palpably coursing through his partner's body.

"OK! ... Ok now ... Just calm down, will you? You're all heated up ..."

"Damn right I'm all heated up ... He keeps at me Mike and it's not just me ... He's had a go at a few guys from Homicide now. I mean what's his deal anyway? Does he get a kick out of rising people or what?"

"WHO Steve? ..."

"Sergeant GRISWALD ... Who do you THINK?" Steve barked unintentionally and then realizing it had come out a little more forcibly than it should have, he blushed and looked away mumbling apologetically under his breath.

"I'm sorry Mike ... That was out of line ..."

Mike had cringed at the barked name but as he heard the heartfelt apology he softened and massaged the tense shoulders still firmly in his grip.

"Griswald from Records again, huh? ... I guess I should have known ... Lee was piping on about him too just yesterday. What has he done THIS time?"

"What has he DONE? " Steve asked incredulously, his temper spiking again as he remembered with slight contempt the earlier exchange down in Records still so vividly in his mind. "Well firstly he accused me of sloppy paperwork Mike ... ME! I mean you know how careful I am with the reports and how meticulous I am. I mean who does that guy think he IS?"

"Ok, ok ... Try not to get so steamed up Buddy Boy. Your shoulders are in knots. What else did he do?"

"Then he tried to accuse me of copying files without his permission. Can you credit that? I mean I handwrote every note personally into those files Mike and the pages were all original ... I mean I can't even use that antiquated copier machine down there Mike and why would I even HAVE to? Norm was there too ... He'll tell ya ... He tried to stick up for me in fairness and then Griswald had a go at him too ... Let him have it right between the eyes ... Called him incompetent and ILLITERATE ... Illiterate Mike! ... I mean what gives him the right to go around saying stuff like that? ... I'm telling you it's not right Mike ..."

"STEVE ... Listen to me will you? Ok, I know you're all heated up and from the sound of it you probably have every right to be but just cool it for a minute, will you? Please ... Just sit down and take a load off and take some nice, slow, deep breaths and we'll discuss this calmly alright? Like mature adults, ok? What do you say?"

Steve took a deep steadying breath and nodded agreeably before sinking down into his desk chair and taking Mike's advice as he tried to regulate his breathing after his earlier meltdown.

"Ok, now that feels better, doesn't it?"

"Yeah ... yeah, you're right. It does ..."

"Ok now in your own time AND ... calmly this time please? What happened then? Did Norm rise to it?"

Steve inhaled sharply and let it out slowly before he spoke again, this time in a markedly more measured tone.

"No ... No, he didn't. I was kind of surprised to be honest. I mean I was fit to be tied but he just calmly told me to forget it and not to rise to it and frogmarched me out of there ... I guess being honest ah ... I was the one who wanted to punch his lights out ..." Steve admitted shamefully.

Mike half smiled as he watched Steve's face redden a little more and he patted the young man's arm purposefully.

"Ok, that's alright. A little bit of hotheadedness comes hand in hand with youth but when you get a little older and wiser, I hope hanging around with me anyway ... you'll learn some important lessons about dealing with things like this."

Steve looked up interested.

"OH? What's that?"

"Well for one thing Buddy Boy and maybe the most important lesson of all is that you don't have to go to every argument you're invited to, you know?"

Steve smiled at the older man's statement.

"I never heard that one before ... It's good ... It's good, I like it ..."

"I thought you would ... Look Steve, Griswald isn't a bad person. Actually he was a pretty fine cop in his day but he had a bad run of luck and he got shot on the job ... Tore up his left arm and pretty much got him resigned by the powers that be to that desk in Records ... He changed after that ... Now he takes out his frustrations on anyone who crosses his path. This week it's Homicide ... Last week it was Robbery ... Next week it will be some other Department but don't down the man ... Life isn't always easy Buddy boy and we shouldn't always be so quick to judge a person without maybe seeing and understanding what caused them to be that way in the first place, now should we?"

"What? You mean don't judge someone unless you've walked a mile in their shoes? Be the better person and all that stuff?"

"EXACTLY ... Now you're thinking Buddy Boy ..."

Steve's shoulders slumped dejectedly as he defended his earlier words.

"I didn't know that about him Mike ..."

"I know you didn't and that's ok Buddy Boy ... Just keep it up there with all that energy you've got for future reference, will you?" Mike added playfully, as he tapped Steve's temple.

"Ok ... I'll try ... But Mike ... I didn't do those things he accused me of ..."

"You think I don't know that, huh? You think most people in here don't know that? Because we do and I'll have a quiet and friendly word with Olsen about it, don't worry but well ... sometimes it's enough just to know you're innocent Steve ... I mean what you know in your own heart will always be more important that what other people think, Buddy boy. Always remember that, ok?"

Steve nodded and patted Mike's back briefly.

"Yeah ... Yeah I will ... Thanks Mike. ... How the hell did you ever get to be so wise anyway, huh?"

"Life and experience Steve are sometimes the best teachers ... Now ... Are you feeling any better about it?"

"Yeah ... Yeah, I always feel better after your pep talks Mike."

"Good ... That means they work. Now, where's Norm?"

"What? ... Oh I ... Actually I don't know ... He was with me until we hit the outside corridor and then I guess I was so steamed up that I never noticed he wasn't behind me anymore."

"Uh oh ... I better go find him. Maybe he took Griswald's words to heart. He acts all tough but well ... between you and me, he's just a big softie inside. Don't tell him I told you that though?" Mike added humorously.

"Sure ... Ok ... You ah ... want me to help you? I mean he was kind of defending me so ... I guess I kind of owe him ..."

"No, no that's OK ... I'll just find him and give him a Stone pep talk too. You're not the only needy recipient of them, you know? I happen to have a wide audience on a daily basis for those."

Steve laughed.

"Ok ... and here's me thinking I got an exclusive ..."

Mike chuckled and went to head for the bullpen door but as he turned, the inner door suddenly opened and Norm Haseejian strolled in and meandered towards his desk, watching the uncomfortable stares that followed him unnervingly. Sitting down, Norm watched as Steve and Mike exchanged a solemn look and he piped up awkwardly.

"What? What's all the stares for? Is my bald patch becoming more apparent or WHAT?"

Mike walked over towards Norm's desk and stood beside it.

"You ok? Only Steve said that Griswald well ... that he said some pretty mean things to you."

"What? ... Oh ... Oh yeah that? Oh no, that doesn't matter Mike ... You know what Griswald is like ... He says lots of things ... But it's ok ... How many times Mike have you told me that two wrongs don't make a right, huh?"

Mike stared proudly at his Sergeant and his jaw dropped slightly open.

"Well ... I must admit Norm ... I didn't think you ever listened to my pep talks but ... well I guess you obviously do ... Well done Haseejian."

"Thanks Mike ... "

Mike patted Norm proudly on the back and looking back at Steve he spoke cheerfully.

"Tidy up Steve ... I just have to finish what I started in there and then we'll ride off into the sunset, ok?"

"Sure Mike ... I'll be ready."

Steve watched as Mike headed into his Office and closed his door behind him and he smiled at the never ending supply of wisdom that Mike seemed to always impart on those around him. As he began to tidy up his desk a low sound came from behind him.

"Pssst ..."

Looking behind him he saw Norm grinning from ear to ear and looked curiously in his direction.

"What's up Norm?"

"Look ..." the Armenian detective whispered in Steve's direction.

Steve looked across to where Norm was holding something surreptitiously under his desk and he rolled his chair a bit closer to get a better look but he still couldn't recognize what it was."

"What is it?"

"Shush ... Keep your voice down kid ... It's an empty egg carton."

"A WHAT? ... Oh sorry ... a what?"

He lowered his tone purposefully.

"An EMPTY ... egg carton ... "

Steve frowned curiously at first but as he saw Norm's face light up and his colleague's grin widened mischievously, his jaw dropped open in shock as the phone rang on Mike's desk at the very same time.

"Norm? Norm you didn't? Tell me you didn't?"

"Uh huh ... I sure did ..."

Steve could hear Mike's voice grow louder and more annoyed as he spoke into the phone.

"What do you mean, there's been an incident in the car park? WHOSE car? "

Steve watched anxiously as Mike placed his hand over the receiver and shouted loudly.

"HASEEJIAN! ... GET IN HERE ... NOW! ..."

"Uh oh ... Boy are you going to get it now Man ... When Mike uses THAT tone it means a whole rake of trouble and hurt is coming your way ... I wouldn't want to be in your shoes, let me tell you ..."

Norm stood up and passed the young Inspector still grinning.

"Relax kid, if it was my first ever mistake, I'D WORRY ... But without a little "eggs-citement" in our lives, we wouldn't know we were even alive, now would we?"

Steve chuckled and shook his head as he watched incredulously as his brave colleague headed courageously into the lion's den, speaking as he knocked and raising his hands in mock surrender before entering, which only caused Steve to belly laugh even harder.

"I'm unarmed Mike ... so don't SHOOT! ..."

 **The End.**


End file.
